Hopelessly Devoted
by reality296
Summary: Reigh-Lynn feels that she lives the life but when her parents are killed can a stranger that bumped into her in the streets make her feel wanted and appreciated after lying about being a boy so she can stay at the Lodging House...find out now! R/R!
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1 "It Can't Be"  
  
"Get up! Breakfast time child wake up!" I heard my mother call and I jumped to my feet. I staggered for a minute and glanced out the window. I smiled at the normal 1899 New York City mornings, the regular people screaming at each other, the same people having their same conversations, and the yelling of the poor news boys. "Reigh-Lynn get down here now child your breakfast is getting cold." I laughed at the thought of how my breakfast could get and colder. I walked downstairs with the normal routine Dad reading the Sun and drinking his cold tea, as my brother sits with his head rested on the table, while Mom scurried around the kitchen shuffling different things at different times.  
  
"Reigh-Lynn, eat your breakfast then go to corner market and get some milk! I told you to get it yesterday!" I rolled my eyes and looked at my plate and starting picking at my food with my fork. I took two bites and went back to my part of the room my brother and I share. I got dressed in minutes and went rushing out the door with the 5 cents Mom gave me yesterday to get the milk I came home empty handed with. I was walking the streets of New York before I went to get the milk and a boy knocked into me. "'Ay! Why don't you'se watch where you'se goin!" I turned to the person who bumped into me. They took off their old battered cap and shook behind them nudging me to go on.  
  
I wasn't the kind of girl to let some one go just bump into me and nudge me away without a word of sorrow. "'Ay! Don't you'se know when a goil is tawking to you'se?" The guy stopped and turned to me. "Look I'se don't gots time for you'se right now." The guy looked at me in shock. He was tall, slim; he had blonde hair, and an eye patch. He smiled at me, "I'se gots somewhere ta be so a sorry and goodbye" the guy gave me a smirk and put back on his hat. He threw out his arms as I stared at him, "What do you'se needs a written sorry? Look I gotsta be at Tibby's fo' lunch." I rolled my eyes along with my head to the direction I started in.  
  
I got to the market and couldn't get that guy out of my head. "No! He's a rude poor news boy. You'se can't like him. Reigh drop it." I thought out loud and got weird looks from people who passed I handed the clerk the 5 cents and rushed back to my apartment. I noticed things were thrown around and saw blood trailed out to the balcony. I rushed back to the balcony and saw my family lifeless on the balcony ground. I covered my mouth as I backed up against the wall.  
  
My father didn't join the Trolly Strike so to my guess this is what he got. Why my brother and mother were killed too was stuff to my confusion. I went to the bedroom and got out some of my brothers clothes. I dressed myself in brown pants, brown shoes, white shirt, black and blue suspenders, and tucked my hair in a shabby cap. I looked in a piece of broken glass and tucked the rest of my dangling hair into the cap. I tried to make myself look as boyish as I could.  
  
I walked outside and heard some boys talking. "You'se coming back to da Lodging House?" A dark brown haired boy asked a black boy. "Ya, I'll walk wiff you'se" the two boys began walking and I followed them trying not to seem noticeable. They walked into the 'Lodging House' and were greeted kindly by an old man. I saw a few boys throw blows at each other and laugh. All the guys that were downstairs were gone.  
  
I took a deep breath and walked in. The old man looked at me in a weird but kind way, "What could I do you for?" I smiled at the old man and he smiled back, "I nee." I cleared my throat and my voice sound deeper, "I needs me a place ta stays." The old man opened up an old book and got out a pen. "What's your name?" I hesitated for a minute, "Reigh." The old man laughed, "That'll change soon, I'm Kloppman, Klopper to the boys here, and I'll show you to your bunk and introduce you to the boys." Kloppman lead me into a bunk room full of boys all laughing and goofing around, some were playing poker and smoking cigars.  
  
Kloppman clapped his hands, "Alright listen up boys! You got a new bunker! This here is Reigh. Reigh this here is Skittery, Racetrack, Jack Kelley, Snipeshooter, Boots, Itey, Dutchy, Specs, Mush, and Kid Blink the rest will introduce themselves right fellas?" The guys moaned and motioned Kloppman away. My eyes kept going back to Kid Blink he was the boy that I bumped into earlier. I noticed that he kept looking at me as if he could recognize me.  
  
One of the boys stood up taking a cigar out of his mouth and he licked his lips, "So what's yer story?" He put the cigar back into his mouth. I believe Kloppman said that he was Race, "Orphan me mudda and fudda were killed today including me brudda." Race sat back down shaking his head, the one named Jack walked closer to me and I stepped back, "Tey didn't join da Trolly Strike did they?" I nodded my head and held back tears.  
  
Jack smiled and slapped my back and lead me to an empty bunk, "You'se will be sleeping herea for da rest of us we'se needs to go to bed also!" Jack walked up to a newsie that was wining about it. He shook the kid's hair around and pushed his head and smiled. Everyone climbed into bed and Kloppman cut the lights off. 


	2. Chpt. 2 Confessions

Morning came quick but I was up before the rest of the boys. I ran into the washroom and quickly washed up and got dressed. I put my hair in my cap and went to put on my boots and Kloppman walked up to me, "Early birds are we? I'ma wake up the boys you wait for Kid he'll show you the ropes." I nodded my head in agreement and laid back in my bunk as heads shook and moans echoed through out the bunk room. Each guy groaned to the washroom. Mush was talking loudly, "Ya soah we need some goils ya know, we'se needs some great lookin' goils." Mush laughed and all the guys agreed. My heart sank deeply in my chest.  
  
I followed the guys out the door and Kid Blink walked up to me with papers before I could go get my papers, "Herea I know you'se gots no money soah here's 50 ta start you'se." I smiled at Kid and he kept looking at me as if he was trying to find something, "Tank you'se." Kid showed me what to do and I went to a selling spot I spiced up the news a bit and sold all my papes. I met with Kid at Tibby's and he paid yet again. He leaned in closer to me, "I knows who you'se is." My heart stopped I jumped up and started to walk out. "Wait! Come back herea and sit down." I looked at him and he had a kind look on his face like he wasn't mad.  
  
"I bumped into you'se in tha street and you gave me shit because of it. I'se wants know why is you'se herea? Why is you'se acting like a boy?" Kid looked at me and talked in a whisper. "Look I'se got me problems. I'se didn't lie about me story. Why you'se care I'se don't know. Tanks for da lunch but I'se is taking me leave now." I got up and walked outside and turned down an ally and sat by a wall. Kid ran up to me, "Look sometin happened ta me when I'se bumped into you'se. You'se also gotsta tell everyone you'se a goil." Kid pulled off my cap and let my hair fall, he placed it back on. "I'se gonna back you'se up if they'se start trouble."  
  
I took a breath and looked at Kid who was smiling at me. He held out his hand, I took it and we walked back to Tibby's. Voices stopped and spoons dropped, "Reigh gots sometin ya ale needs ta know." Kid pulled out a chair. I looked at him then at the people around who had mouths hanging to the floor, "As ale you'se can see I'se a goil. I'se didn't know where else ta go so I'se guess I'se be taking me leave now." I walked out the door and started down the street when the guys came out and yelled for me to stop I turned around and Kid and Jack were smiling, "Jist cause you'se a goil doesn't belittle you'se. You'se become a newsie and a newsie you'se gonna be right boys!?" Jack turned to the rest of the newsies who were yelling.  
  
"Who's up foir some Medda!?" The guys yelled and cheered and ran to Irving Hall. I watched the guys run and thought Kid had gone too. I turned around to start heading towards my old apartment to get some money. I saw Kid who was smiling at me, "Not joinin da guys 'ay?" Kid shook his head, "Nahh, I'se gonna walk wiff you'se." I smiled and laughed. I walked up to Kid and he put his arm around my neck. 


End file.
